UK Regulator admits Marijuana extract has medicinal effect

In a major development, a government regulator in the United Kingdom (U.K.) on Tuesday admitted that certain marijuana products can be considered medicine for human health issues.

The government’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has found that products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are a medicine, and Cannabidiol has a “restoring, correcting, or modifying” effect on “physiological functions” when administered to humans.

“Any future products containing CBD “will have to meet safety, quality and effectiveness standards to protect public health”, said the Regulatory Agency.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid which accounts for 40 percent of the marijuana plant’s extract. It does not contain the ‘high-inducing’ psychoactive THC, but is said to have the same health benefits as other forms of cannabis, according to the MHRA.

“Products for therapeutic use must have a medicines’ licence before they can be legally sold, supplied or advertised in the UK. Products will have to meet safety, quality and effectiveness standards to protect public health”, the MHRA said.

The findings followed a review by the government’s review for the use of CBD without the psychoactive properties of THC – with the CBD vaporizer company MediPen.

The company prompted Britain's National Health Service to review the drug in 2016 following a year of extremely positive results among its patients, relieving the pain of those with everything from depression and anxiety to arthritis and pain relief.

“Since our inception we’ve worked hard to obtain our goal of breaking down the negative connotations surrounding cannabis to lead to a reform in the law for medicinal use,” said Jordan Owen, MediPen’s managing director. “Now this is finally becoming a reality.”